Cal State East Bay Students Meet Singapore Consul General at Mock UN Event
Cal State East Bay students with Singaporean Consul General Christopher Cheang (center).
- May 5, 2016
Several Cal State East Bay students recently had an opportunity to dine with Singaporean Consul General Christopher Cheang at a four-day conference called Model UN of the Far West, an event intended to imitate the United Nations’ proceedings.
Political science professor Dr. Maria Ortuoste said model UN conferences help students learn essential skills like critical thinking and how to address issues with limited information and time. Most students walk away with better negotiation and consensus-building skills, she said.
“Because the MUNFW includes students from several universities on the West Coast, with most students coming from international backgrounds, CSUEB students are able to apply their knowledge of diversity and multicultural competencies to develop solutions geared toward world equity and social justice,” Ortuoste said.
She added that students are also asked to give speeches and participate in drafting resolutions, which teaches them to communicate their ideas persuasively while still listening to other viewpoints.
Participating students are required to take POSC 3550, a class called “The United Nations in the World Community,” which prepares them for the mock UN event. Their participation at the conference is paid for through the university’s Academic Access, Enhancement and Excellence fee.
Sherah McCurdy took Ortuoste’s class last winter and said she enjoyed the recent MUNFW conference, particularly meeting Cheang, despite some initial nervousness.
“It was such an honor being able to meet with Mr. Cheang,” McCurdy said. “I was able to ask him questions and get answers for my research, and really get to know what Singapore is all about.”
Ortuoste said the conference organizers told her they hope to regularly invite diplomatic representatives for future conferences and she wants to continue working with them so more Cal State East Bay students can meet the officials in the future.
The following students participated in the event and met Consul General Cheang:
- Andre Marston
- Mario Cordoba Garcia
- Kassandra Mariscal
- Sherah McCurdy
- Nijel Quadri